Coffee with Candidate: Brendan Doherty

Republican nominee for U.S. House District 1, Brendan Doherty, joined “The Rhode Show” Monday as part of our “Coffee with the Candidates” series.

About Brendan Doherty:

I was born on March 14, 1959 to Edward and Carol (Flynn) Doherty, both of whom were born and raised in Taunton, Massachusetts. My dad was a dentist and my mom a nurse and as a young couple they made the decision to open a dental practice in downtown Attleboro, MA where they eventually made their home with their first son –my brother Ed. Shortly after their move to Attleboro, I was born and four years later came their third son, Christopher.

We had a fairly traditional upbringing. My mom stayed home to care for us while my Dad worked long hours building his practice. My Dad was a big baseball fan and became an avid bridge player, eventually making it to the level of Life Master (in the Bridge world, a formidable feat). Our family would travel around New England on weekends in our old Dodge station wagon to accompany Dad on his way to regional Bridge tournaments and also to various ballparks and gyms to watch baseball and basketball (especially PC "Friars" basketball). One of my favorite memories was a trip to the 1971 World Series to watch the Baltimore Orioles take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. We piled into our station wagon and talked baseball stats and trivia all the way to Baltimore where I had the honor and thrill of meeting the great Roberto Clemente.

While I enjoyed baseball, I was passionate about basketball. My dad, a big John Wooden fan, bought me a poster with John Wooden's famous Pyramid of Success; this became my roadmap for achievement (and in an amazing stroke of luck I was able to meet Coach Wooden with my son Matt while attending the Big East tournament in 2002 and he autographed a Pyramid of Success for Matt which still hangs on his bedroom wall today). Emulating Wooden’s focus on the value and importance of hard work, competitiveness, poise, confidence, faith and integrity, I worked diligently to become the best basketball player I could. I became an overachieving competitor through sheer will and hard work. By the time I graduated from Bishop Feehan, a small Catholic high school in Attleboro, Massachusetts, I had laid the groundwork to become a leader on the court, eventually serving as the team Captain and the leading scorer in the history of the school.

As I was finishing high school, however, I was faced with a challenge that dwarfed anything that I could face on the court. My dad had become quite ill as a result of complications brought on by diabetes. He slowly lost his ability to stand, work, and support our family in the manner to which we had become accustomed. Our family went from "doing well" to "poor" in a matter of months. His patients slowly moved to other dentists and he eventually lost the practice that he worked so hard to build. My mom returned to work as a nurse, while at the same time caring for my failing dad. Though I had been accepted and awarded a partial scholarship to attend Bryant University, my hopes and childhood dream of playing college basketball were dashed when I came to the realization that I could not ask my parents to help me with any college costs as they were struggling just to afford the basic necessities of life. I made the choice to attend Rhode Island College and financed my education myself by working odd jobs. I worked as a security guard at what was then the Providence Civic Center (now "The Dunk") and began boxing at a small gym in Central Falls.

While boxing at the gym, I would occasionally notice a Rhode Island State Police Trooper watching the fights. I was impressed by this young trooper’s demeanor, presence, and clear sense of pride in the uniform. I was inspired enough that, midway through my sophomore year of college, I decided to try for the honor of becoming a Rhode Island State Police Officer when I learned that they were accepting applications. I called upon all my years of dedication, hard work, and perseverance to meet the challenge posed by the entrance and training, and at 21years old I proudly joined the ranks of the Rhode Island State Police. I later returned to school at Roger Williams University and received a degree in Administration of Justice and further went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

On September 10, 1983, at 24 years old, I married my high school sweetheart, Michele Lapierre. Michele is the seventh of nine children born to Loretta (MacDougald) and Armand Lapierre. Like my parents, Michele's parents were very hard working small business owners who experienced good times, yet also lived through some years of financial hardship. Michele had just graduated in June of the prior year from Bentley College in Waltham, MA with a degree in Accounting. We bought a small house on Modena Avenue in Providence and became very proud homeowners.

Our only regret is that my dad was unable to share our happiest day and those to follow, as he had passed